Gammon Ranges hiking info?

[Al and Bruce Paton]

Hi all.

We're planning on doing a hike in the Gammon Ranges at the end of October and we're having a really tough time digging up detailed info on where we want to go, so we were hoping you fine people may be able to help!

The details of the trip we've worked out so far are:

- We have a 2 wheel drive
- We have 4-5 days
- We're weighing up whether to access the area from Italowie Gap or from Grendell Hut via Weetootla Gorge
- Based on photos we've seen on this site (viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4370&p=51510&hilit=gammon#p50739) we want to camp the night on or near Mount McKinley, so we can get photos of sunset and sunrise from the summit
- We'd also like to stay at Junction Waterhole and potentially use it as a base camp to do some exploring on one or two days
- Ideally we would prefer to not tumble off a cliff or get lost without any water in the middle of the desert

The major questions we're trying to answer are:

- What are the specific routes we need to follow up and down Mount McKinley?
- What are the specific routes we need to take in and out of Junction Waterhole?
- How long will it take to get into these places from the 2WD access points?
- Is it realistic to also think about visiting other places in the area (eg: Rover Rockhole, Cleft Peak) during our walk?

Any answers or suggestions you could offer would be much appreciated!

Cheers
Alistair and Bruce

[photohiker]

eggs is your man!

I can say that it would be challenging to get into Grindells hut in a 2wd. I have heard of someone getting in with a Lite-Ace, but we went there this year and if you value your vehicle I'd suggest leaving it at Balcanoona or somewhere and walking or getting a lift in. The rangers at Balcanoona are very helpful, by the way.

[bigkev]

Hi Guys

As photohiker says, its possible to get a 2wd into Grindells but it involves a fair bit of creek bed driving and a steep pinch. I was there in early June and there was a lot of water around then, not sure how much rain they've had since. Cleft Peak is great, but you may not have time if you have to walk in. I did a journal here http://hiking.topicwise.com/doc/gammonranges if it helps you. The Gammons are worth the effort, some of the best desert walking in Australia IMHO.

[eggs]

Guys

The essential guide to the Gammons is called "A Walking Guide to the Northern Flinders Ranges" by Adrian Heard.
You really must have good maps - and personally, I would not do too much without the guide.

You are probably aware of the 2 circuits I have posted on. In both cases we had 2 wheel drive and did not attempt car access to Grindalls or Loch Ness Well.

Our basic stats for comparison
Trip 1: Carrying 8 litres of water each - 23Kg + packs to start.
Day 1: Drive to Weetootla Gorge car park [near Balcanoona Park HQ] - walk through gorge to Grindalls Hut - 6.5 km in 1.5 hrs. Water available in the hikers hut rainwater tank.
Day 2: Walk road to Loch Ness Well, then up Bunyip Creek to Bunyip Chasm. Water in small waterholes along this route. Climb Steadmans Ridge from Chasm turnoff and camp on ridgetop about 1km in from Mt John Roberts [visited Mt John Roberts late afternoon] 12.2km, 700m climb in 6.5 hrs
Day 3: Up Steadmans to descent point into Shelf Chasm and through to Italowie North and Wildflower Creek. Accidentally ascended part of Cleft and kept going up NW ridge to camp at the top. 10.4km, 470m in 7.5 hrs
Day 4: Descend Cleft by NW ridge to Rover Rockhole [top up water] - explore up Terraces to Fern Chasm and return via Wildflower Ck to Iltalowie 10.9km, 300m in 6:10hrs
Day 5: Return to Grindalls via Gibber Plain and back through Weetootla to car. 14km and 90m climb in 4 hrs
Weather assisted by being reasonably cool, but biggest issue was trying to walk fast in the very bouldery creek beds.

Trip 2: Heavy packs again
Day 1: Drive to Italowie Gorge and park on side road up the Italowie Creek arm. Walk up Doctor Chewings Creek to entrance to McKinley Basin. 7.5km, 190m in 2.5 hrs.
Day 2: Climb up the face ridge of Mt McKinley [this is 'adventurous', but well worth it]. 3km, 585m in 4:45 hrs. Camped at top.
Day 3: Descend to Breaking Wave - carefully pick the ridge to Pine Saddle, then scrub bash to top of Octopus Hill. Follow north ridge down to Junction Creek, but look for a pad along an exit drop on the LHS just before a final drop off the ridge. We almost came to grief trying to work directly down this ridge end as it broke away and was dangerous. Quietly proceeded to Junction Waterhole [water] - fantastic campsite. 8km, 260m in 5.5 hrs.
Day 4: Up Streak Gorge and down Terraces with side trip to the Prow. Camp at Rover Rockhole [water] - magnificent. 9.5 kms, 490m in 6.5 hrs
Day 5: Past Cleft along Italowie South - up Scree Ck to McKinley Bluff - camp about 1km further along ridge towards McKinley. 11km, 480m in 6 hrs
Day 6: Steep descent off McKinley Bluff on a scree slope from the campsite and through to Pinch Gorge before exit along Italowie to the car. 9.6km in 5 hrs.
{The slow progress was due to extreme grief at my broken camera at Pinch Gorge}
We had 1 hot day along Scree Creek, but the rest of the weather was good with rain on the last day.

Conclusions:
There is a great 3 day trip to be had by doing a loop over Mt McKinley to McKinley Bluff - camping high on 2 nights, but you would need to carry water to last the 3 days. We met a pair heading up McKinley Bluff via Pinch doing just this trip in reverse as we were leaving.
This could easily be extended to 4 days by adding a night at Junction Waterhole - which enables a water pickup. Up to McKinley -> Junction ->Scree to McKinley Bluff and then exit. Either as we did to Pinch - or probably a lot easier - down the longer southerly ridge to Doctor Chewings Creek again. You need to allow time for travel to/from the Gammons. Its an 8 hour trip from Adelaide.
Using Junction as a base - you could also seek to climb Cleft Peak [the South ridge is considered a bit easier] and camp up top.
Check photos on http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2526&p=38635&hilit=gammons#p24431

Many folk access Bunyip as a day trip from Loch Ness Well. This could be extended to a 3 day trip via John Roberts and Shelf Chasm.
I will PM a bit more detail.

Big provisos
- this is very remote country! And there are essentially no tracks! The normal recommendation is a group of 4 for safety, but my first trip was with 2 of us. I would highly recommend a PLB and you need to leave an itinerary with the rangers [if you can find them - slip it under the door]
Water purification is essential. There were big blue water barrels on Mt McKinley - but we did not use them as we had no idea how long they had been there or who they were for. The rangers should be able to advise.

End of October is high risk on the weather - it could be starting to get very hot. And they may not allow camping out past the end of October.
A shorter walk might be more advisable if there is any hint of real heat.
I also check rain stats. The station on the range has closed, but Arkaroola shows good rain in March, but not a lot since then.

[Hallu]

If you want to find info about the Gammon Ranges, you shouldn't look for this term, but you should call it Northern Flinders Ranges, as most people do, as you can tell from the book Eggs suggested you took a look at, "A Walking Guide to the Northern Flinders Ranges". As for the rest, I think he said just about everything =)

[philm]

Agree with all the great information provided by Eggs. I would not drive into Grindels with a 2WD - too risky and if it rains the tracks become very messy and with a 2WD you can easy get stuck. We had 8ml of rain overnight at Grindels and the creeks peaked at about 1 metre! (Although unlikely most rain in the Northern Flinders occurs in summer from tropical lows from the north). The book by Adrian Heard is the best but is out of print. Second had copies can be found and most state libraries have a copy. This is a great part of the world but as everyone has mentioned very remote and you are on your own. A EPIRB would be essential.

[andrewp]

Can anyone confirm the state of Loch Ness Well? Is there reliable water available?

[photohiker]

You could try the Balcanoona Park office (08) 8648 0049

[andrewp]

Thanks Michael,

For the record the phone for Balcanoona office is (08) 8648 4829 and apparently the well is no longer operational. Water in the creek is unreliable.

Andrew

[eggs]

I have only been past Loch Ness Well once and then had carried water from Grindalls so did not try to look at the water supply.
I seem to remember from the book that you need a rope to get water there - as it is an actual well, not a waterhole.
And there is a vague suspicion that it might be fairly mineralised?

I will see if there was more info tonight. [Edit - crossover - glad you got your info.]
If you are driving to Loch Ness Well, then carry water in the vehicle.
Personally, I would not plan to get to water at that site - maybe as a last resort.

The well at Lock Ness Well. Not sure how easy it is to get under the lid and how far down the hole the water will be?

[andrewp]

Thanks Eggs,

I was trying to confirm Adrian Heards book that talks about a concrete tank. Sounds as though the tank is long gone.

Unfortunately probably have to walk to LNW because of lack of suitable 4wd.

Andrew

[philm]

Hi

There is no reliable water at Lock Ness Well. If you are walking in you will pass Grindel's Hut and there are water tanks there so suggest you fill up at Grindells. Only a short few kilometres walk to Lock Ness from Grindells.
The water at Grindells is clean and the best you will find in the area. From here you may find water in various spots indicated in Adrian Heard's book but I suggest you need a filter and sterilisation as often the water has been sitting for a long time (unless there has been recent rains).

The other permanent water is at Weetootla springs not far from Grindells Hut - on the way into the pound.

[north-north-west]

I took water from Grindell's once. Tasted dreadful. Probably had nothing to do with the disastrous finish to the day, except that it was hard forcing the stuff down my throat.

I'm probably too fussy.

[photohiker]

Doubt it. (fussy)

Grindells has a rainwater tank. It's possible it was contaminated with a dead body in keeping with the history of the place, or was in need of maintenance.

It's all pretty spick and span now, solar power and conveniences, a lot of work has been done to it.

[north-north-west]

Doubt it. (fussy)

Grindells has a rainwater tank. It's possible it was contaminated with a dead body in keeping with the history of the place...

Oh, great, felled by ghost microbes.

[eggs]

The rainwater tanks may be fairly new [not sure how far back NNW was there]
Its worth noting that there are 2 tanks there - 1 next to the toilet block / car park and one at the hikers hut further up the hill.

[photohiker]

5 if you include the three at the house:



The hikers hut is visible to the left of frame. Possibly, the tanks are all connected to the stone tank above the house.

[eggs]

I was aware of the extra tanks, but since Grindalls Hut is for hire, I suspect they would reserve the 2 rainwater tanks for the use of occupants only.

The top concrete tank is fed from a pipe coming out of the hillside. The outlet goes underground and probably feeds the house as well. It may be quite mineralised bore water?

The 2 walkers tanks are purely fed from rain on the adjacent roofs [hikers hut & the toilet block]. As such their level can vary a lot.

[philm]

The tank highest up the hill (the largest) is I believe bore water! - not great to drink. However their are rain water tanks on the hourse and another fed from the smaller hikers hut nearby.

By good water I meant good rain water!

[north-north-west]

It would have been about ten years ago, I think. And I took the stuff from the tanks near the house. Wasn't aware of anything else, the house tanks were the only visible source.

[David Trebilcock]

I recently (March 2014) attempted to climb Mount McKinley carrying a full pack using the direct route up the steep spur from Mt McKinley Basin and found it too difficult, though I admit I am not a spring chicken? My recently I successfully climbed Mt McKinley using the easier and longer route described in the publication you refer to and found this much more to my liking. I only went up with a day pack but I think carrying a full pack would not have been a problem. From the summit I then walked via Breaking Wave and the ridgeline to Mt McKinley Bluff but too the wrong spur down to the Basin and had to slide on my bum on the final very steep slope which was a bit scary. Its very easy to miss the correct spur described in the book.

I think the water that the water you found in the large plastic containers has been deliberately left for bushwalkers to use. All but one of the containers were full. The ranger did not mention these containers and it is quite possible she did not know they were there. Whether the water is still drinkable I could not say as I did not attempt to open any of the containers, but there was mention in the summit notebook of its use by other walkers and I think it is probably okay to drink.

I have not attempted to hike from Mt McKinley to Junction Rockhole via Octopus Hill but I imagine this would be a great hike. The problem I have found generally in Gammon Ranges and Arkaroola is that it can be quite difficult descending from the high areas to the creek beds as the ridges and spurs get steeper the further downhill you go and the rock is often loose and treacherous. It is very easy to lose your footing and come to grief as you found out, and it is made doubly difficult when carrying a full pack.

There was plenty of water at Rover Rockhole when I was there in March as well as at Mt McKinley Springs and Junction Rockhole, all of which I accessed via routes other than Mt McKinley, but I did use water purification tablets just in case. This was after a prolonged dry summer so I think you can confidently say that all three are permanent water sources. Together with the water in the plastic containers on Mt McKinley it should be possible to do the hike you describe with less water than 7 litres because you can access water on a daily basis. However it is probably better to err on the side of caution and take at least 5 litres at the outset.

I have tried to insert some photos but can't work out how to do it!

[philm]

David

Yes this is the issue with the Gammons as you say coming down and finding you reach a rock face or similar. The best walk we had was up to Mount John Roberts just after we had 12 mm of rain overnight. It made for a magical walk in what would be normally warm weather. I have found the routes and directions in Heard's book the best and generally have had no trouble in the area using these notes. The book is out of print but I picked up a copy second hand there is also a copy at the State Library in SA.

[psychs]

Hi David & Philm,
It seems as though the water in the drums on Mt McKinley must be occasionally topped up. You say they were nearly full in March 2014. I was there with my son in April 2013 and water might have been occupying 25-30% of the capacity of the 4 (I think there were 4) drums. The water was good to drink too and a great relief of a sight given that I'd consumed much of mine on the ascent from Mt McKinley Basin (using the longer route) carrying a full pack. I can certainly concur with the statements about Gammon ridges, spurs & creeks getting steeper as you descent. We descended to Junction Waterhole from McKinley, via Pine Saddle, Octopus Hill & the gully at 806m altitude off the Octopus Hill spur going WNW that Heard recommends. Interestingly within about only 200 m of hitting Junction creek when descending this gully you are stopped by a waterfall, maybe only about 5 m high, but pretty impassable because the rock is very smooth and there aren't good belay points presuming you had a rope. We ascended the spur immediately to the east and we able to find a way down to the creek fortunately, but a bit annoying given that there was no notice in the book of the waterfall. The Gammons are like that, tough & uncompromising, but wonderful. Cheers Mark (psychs)

[mikethepike]

Can anyone tell me if there is water either in Mainwater Spring or Mainwater Well where Mainwater Creek runs out of Mainwater Pound? I did read somewhere that neither no longer contains water. Also, can anyone confirm if there is likely to be any large pool of water in the creek in the eastern half of the Pound given that heavy rainfall probably fell in the area in early January. In other words, where is the nearest likely water to Mainwater Well, not permanent but likely to have water 3-4 months after a heavy rainfall and not a named waterhole or spring. Thanks. Mike